


Dangers of a Strong Heart

by shizukanai



Category: SBFIVE (Band)
Genre: Action, Alternate universe - Mafia, Bas Suradet Piniwat & Jet Jetsadakorn Bundit friendship, Businessman!Dun Romchumpa, Businessman!James Kasama, Depiction of Violence, Dun Romchumpa & James Kasama Khanjanawattana friendship, F/M, Fluff, Heir!Bas Suradet, M/M, Mafia Heir!Bas Suradet, Mafia!Dun Romchumpa, Mafia!James Kasama, Multi, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-16 19:55:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 16,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28712394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shizukanai/pseuds/shizukanai
Summary: Dun lives a life of strict principles, grey morals and half-truths while his days are either spent on sneakily breaking the rules while disguised as an upright member of society or ruthlessly breaking rivals as a prominent member of the underworld. Depending on where you stand in his life, he will either move heaven and hell to make your blood run cold or protect you until his own blood does. And right after the first heartbeat making itself known upon getting to know Bas, Dun knows that the young mafia heir will definitely fall under the latter category.
Relationships: Copter Panuwat Kerdthongtavee/Kimmon Varodom Khemmonta, Dun Romchumpa/Bas Suradet Piniwat, James Kasama Khanjanawattana/Jet Jetsadakorn Bundit, Tee Thanapon Jarujitranon/Tae Darvid Kreepolrerk
Comments: 5
Kudos: 29





	1. Light in the Dark

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is, my first DunBas story :) You can comment in English or Thai, both is fine. Or even German, if you're up for it. Maybe we'll see each other in the #ดุลบาส tag on Twitter. ^^

“Since you are my best friend, I won’t assume the worst, but are you ignoring my calls?” A distinctively familiar voice successfully pulls Dun’s attention away from the papers he’s been busying himself with since morning, his gaze soon landing on the tall man standing in the doorway of his office for a brief glance.

A light smirk appears on his lips. “Wouldn’t be the first time, would it?”

“Rude,” James retorts before stepping further into the room, his hands stuck in his trouser pockets as he approaches the desk Dun is sitting at. “Just for that comment, you’re buying me lunch.”

“Fair enough,” Dun shrugs. “But I wasn’t ignoring your calls, I just forgot my phone at home.”

James hums in recognition as he comes to lean against the dark wood desk standing by the left side of the room where the wall there meets the building’s glass facade, the massive furniture’s color matching the overall theme of his friend’s office; dark and intimidating like the man himself.

Dark, wooden bookshelves grace the walls to the office door’s left and right, their crevices filled to the brim with books James is pretty sure Dun could read through in less than a month if he wanted. Idyllic landscape paintings form a path from the end of the bookshelves to Dun’s desk on one side of the room while the wall across from it harbors a seating area which starts by the glass facade and ends around the middle of the wall, not far away from another door which leads to the Co-CEO’s personal bathroom.

The walls themselves are covered in black, wood-patterned wallpapers and although James had begged him to go for another color, Dun had insisted on making the carpet floor black as well. He did manage to talk him into getting some plants and more lights, though.

“It at least explains why you haven’t been answering my calls, but I’m pretty sure that your secretary told you about the appointment we have in,” James pauses to glance at the clock hanging on the wall behind Dun’s desk. “20 minutes. We need to meet up with Mr. Piniwat to discuss a renewal of contracts.”

A smirk finds its way onto Dun’s lips as he ignores his friend’s words and merely goes back to the papers on his desk, raising one eyebrow challengingly when his view is being blocked by James’ hand. When all he receives in return is an admonishing look, Dun leans back while clearing his throat, his hands now intertwined on the desk.

“They moved the appointment to 1 PM,” the nonchalance with which he speaks forms a stark contrast to the smugness dancing across his features.

“What?”

“They moved the appointment to 1 PM,” Dun repeats, his smirk widening a little at the completely befuddled look James gives him. “They called like an hour ago and asked to reschedule. My secretary did tell me about it, how about yours?”

Heaving a sigh, James straightens his posture and retrieves his phone from his pants pocket to give his secretary a call. But, like during several past instances in which he had tried to get a hold of the newest addition to his team, no one answers. The young CEO squeezes his eyes shut in frustration before simply ending the call, his gaze now back on his business partner.

“I need a new secretary,” he says, deadpan. “Again.”

He doesn’t even bother defending himself when all Dun does is laugh at him.

Just then, a knock at the office door is heard and Dun spares his friend one last glance before speaking up. “Come in.”

A young woman steps into the room, wearing a black pencil skirt and a white chiffon shirt which accentuates her light brown hair as it covers her shoulders like a silky veil. She flashes the two Co-CEOs a polite smile upon spotting them. “Sir, Mr. Piniwat requested for the meeting to be moved to your office, would that be alright for you?”

Dun’s brows furrow in confusion. During the two years in which they have worked together, he has gotten to know Mr. Piniwat as a man of strict routines. Not even the nature of his less-known work and the dangers coming along with it could deter him from sticking to routines he’s had for years. This switch-up is, mildly put, odd and very uncharacteristic of him. And by the look on James’ face, his friend must think the same.

Nevertheless, Dun agrees with a leisure nod. “Sure, please make sure to bring up some beverages for later, Miss Rinrada.”

“Yes, Sir,” the young secretary says before heading out of the office with one last smile.

“Huh,” James utters, his eyes lingering on the now closed office door. “Strange.”

All Dun does is hum in return as he stares straight ahead with an unfocused gaze.

#

It’s not until it’s almost time for the meeting with Mr. Piniwat that Dun hears from James again. The older male has returned to his own office to get a few things, mainly his own secretary, sorted out. Thinking about this friend’s bad experiences with secretaries, Dun kind of feels bad for him.

The very first secretary he had was amazing; always punctual, highly efficient and as professional as they come. But when her husband had to move to another town for a job offer, she of course went along and unintentionally kickstarted James’ long saga of bad luck with secretaries. Sometimes, Dun’s own secretary would help out in between secretary changes or when things got a little too much for James to handle.

“Who are you?” James can be heard asking from in front of Dun’s office, the cautious tone in which he speaks causing the younger CEO to raise to his feet and head towards the office door to oversee the situation for himself.

The person spoken to barely has the chance to say anything besides an ‘I’ when Dun opens his office door and manages to attract everyone’s attention as they all turn their heads to look at him. His first glance is directed at his best friend before his eyes wander towards the man standing in front of James.

A man who is decidedly not Mr. Piniwat.

He’s a few inches smaller than James and, by association, also smaller than Dun himself, his brown hair parted in the middle with the dark strands framing the upper part of his face whereas slightly rounded cheeks build a bridge to a defined jawline.

While his right ear is void from any jewelry, a silver dangle earring with the chanel logo hanging at the bottom of it decorates his left one.

A white, loose-fitted linen shirt covers his upper body, a gap between the unbuttoned collar and the start of a zipper revealing the beginnings of prominent collarbones. The shirt is loosely tucked into burberry-like patterned pants in different shades of black, beige and white which is kept in place with a rope-sized drawstring. The pants’ legs are wide-cut to fit the overall relaxed yet classy look. The shirt’s sleeves end around the man’s elbow, revealing a long stretch of pale skin which is interrupted by a golden chain bracelet on his right wrist before stretching on to slender fingers of which the nails are painted pitch-black.

Casually draped over his small frame is a suit jacket in dark beige which seems just a tad bit too big on him.

He stares at Dun through doe, bright eyes and for the first time in his life, the young CEO finds himself stunned by someone’s beauty.

A knot forms in Dun’s throat and a strange feeling starts to spread in his chest just before he forces himself to snap out of it. “What is going on?”

While his secretary looks just as confused as him, James’ gaze is hard as he gestures towards the stranger. “He says that he’s here to see you.”

Dun allows for his calculating gaze to linger on the newcomer long enough to notice that the other man’s right cheek is dotted with tiny moles before taking a look at the two men flanking him.

“You are two of Mr. Piniwat’s bodyguards,” he says leisurely just as his eyes lock with the ones of the man in beige. “But you are not Mr. Piniwat.”

“Technically, I am,” the man retorts, sounding more firm than many others would have been able to when met with his interrogative gaze for the first time. “I’m his son, Suradet Piniwat.”

“Bas,” the name slips from his lips before he can stop himself, but the comically confused gazes he earns from everyone besides the name owner himself is decidedly worth it.

Bas, on his part, looks more shocked than anything. “You know about me.”

Oh he does know about him, mainly thanks to all the times Mr. Piniwat let a few words about his son slip into their conversations. To a lot of other people, his words would’ve been nothing but fleeting and seemingly insignificant remarks, but Dun’s tendency to pay attention to every miniscule detail has made him turn into quite the good listener. And he didn’t mind hearing about the older man’s family, the small anecdotes always managing to lure a smile out of him.

‘Bas’ Suradet Piniwat, Mr. Piniwat’s only son who graduated with a double major in Korean and English Studies from a university in Germany last year at the age of twenty-two and has been working as an interpreter and translator in one of Mr. Piniwat’s other business branches ever since. 

And these are only the very basic information about the Piniwat heir his business partner had offered to him throughout the time they have been working together and Dun is not quite sure whether Bas himself would be comfortable knowing about all the things the Piniwat patriarch had shared with him.

“Your father mentioned you to me,” is what Dun settles on saying, the usually convincing nonchalance he puts on not quite doing its magic as Bas shoots him a wary look in return as if he can sense that there is more to it than Dun let on. “May I ask why you are here instead of your father?”

At the mention of the Piniwat patriarch, the younger male’s composed facade cracks and allows for the vulnerability which Bas is obviously trying to hide to shine through long enough for it to catch the two businessmen’s attention. Dun manages to take one fleeting glance at the two bodyguards, who have now lowered their gazes, before his eyes are back on the young Piniwat heir.

Bas’ voice does, impressively, not waver even as his whole form tenses under the stare he receives from Dun and James. “Something urgent came up. He sends his apologies for not telling you himself.”

A short glance is exchanged between the two CEOs before Dun turns around to open his office door back up, holding it open with his right hand while gesturing for Bas to step through it with his left one. This prompts Bas to give James a mildly challenging stare upon noticing that the older male is still blocking his path, to which James merely lifts an eyebrow at him in return before ultimately stepping aside, a subtle grin of amusement dancing across his lips as he enters the office after Dun and Bas with the younger male’s bodyguards tailing after them in silence.

‘He’s got fire, that one,’ James thinks to himself before walking towards the seating area where Bas chooses to have a seat by the part of the couch which runs along the glass facade, prompting Dun and James to take a seat on the one running along the wall instead. 

The two bodyguards choose to stand next to where Bas is seated, his pale skin and bright-colored clothes a stark contrast to the dark-themed office. The door to the office opens once more as Rinrada walks into the room with two jugs, one filled with hot water and one filled with coffee.

“Would you like to have some coffee or tea, Sirs?”

“Some coffee for me please,” James requests and Rinrada moves to place the jug with hot water onto the coffee table before pouring some coffee from the jug she’s still holding into one of the cups she has carried into the room earlier, her gaze soon flickering between Dun and Bas inquiringly once she is done.

While Dun asks for some coffee, Bas merely shakes his head in response, a kind smile on his lips to which she answers with one of her own before taking care of her boss’ request. The tense silence in the room is only interrupted by the sound of the dark liquid flowing into a cup and Rinrada is kind of glad when the cup is finally full enough, allowing for her to place the jug onto the coffee table and excuse herself.

Bas merely stares at the files lying on the coffee table as James takes a sip from his beverage with Dun watching the young heir in silence, taking in the other’s face more thoroughly before he follows the younger man’s gaze to where the files are. Leaning forward, Dun takes the top folder and offers it to Bas, the younger man’s head snapping up in surprise before he takes what is offered to him with a soft ‘thank you’ as pale fingers move to open it.

“The conditions have not changed,” Dun starts. “I don’t know whether you are familiar with the current contract and everything it entails. If not, please take your time to read through everything thoroughly and ask for a second opinion if need be.”

“I read through the old contract before coming here, but I would appreciate some time to read through this one just to make sure,” the younger man says, his gaze flickering between the two business partners before fully settling on Dun, who gives him an encouraging nod.

“Take your time,” is all Dun says in return before he settles back against the couch and crosses one leg over the other, his hands resting on his leg while draped over each other neatly.

He vaguely registers James’ movements as his friend leans forward with his legs slightly parted, his elbows resting on top of them and his now empty hands intertwined in a firm grip.

“Thank you,” comes the younger man’s response as he looks down on the papers in his hands, completely oblivious of the way Dun stares at him.

The younger CEO’s eyes first take in Bas’ whole face before he starts to lose himself in details. While Bas generally does look stunning, Dun can’t help but notice the slight puffiness under his eyes and an unnatural paleness to his face which spreads to his lips, almost entirely covering their natural pinkness. But what catches his attention the most is the slight tremble the younger male tries to stop repeatedly by either biting onto his bottom lip or balling his free hand into a fist.

A strange feeling settles in his chest and he can’t help but look at the other in worry, which his best friend seems to notice judging by the questioning gaze he throws his way. Dun merely shakes his head in return, the gesture subtle enough to not attract anyone else’s attention.

“Actually,” Dun starts leisurely, only continuing when Bas’ attention is on him. “Would you like to go over the contract during lunch?”

“Pardon?” Bas raises his eyebrows in wonder.

Dun spares James a sideway glance upon feeling the other’s gaze on him, but chooses to leave his attention with Bas otherwise. He then allows for his lips to turn upwards into a rare smile.

“Your father quite enjoyed having some business talks over lunch or dinner.” 

And he truly does. While Mr. Piniwat has always taken business very seriously, he has also taught Dun the ways of making work more comfortable and to overthink less when the situation allows.

Bas seems quite perplexed and exchanges a glance with the two bodyguards watching him before he looks back at the two CEOs with a wary gaze.

He gulps. “What about the other...contract? I don’t think you would want to discuss that at a public place.”

“The other contract?” It’s James who speaks up this time around.

“The the other contract,” Bas repeats while giving the two of them a meaningful look and when neither Dun nor James makes any move to do anything else other than stare at him, the young heir licks his lips nervously before straightening his posture. “The one for the less legal side of my father’s business with you.”

A deafening silence fills the room as Bas and his bodyguards stare at the two Co-CEOs in scarcely suppressed nervousness and the young heir barely manages to keep himself from squirming uncomfortably under the two businessmen’s calculating gazes. A few tense seconds pass before Dun’s eyes flicker to the two men guarding the Piniwat heir before he leans forward to fix Bas with a stern stare.

“How much has your father told you about his less legal businesses?”

Much to Dun’s surprise, Bas lets out a humorless laugh. “I was originally raised to be his successor in every way.”

Understanding dawns on the two businessmen and the obvious realization showing in their eyes manages to draw a brief, tiny smile from the younger male. The upwards tick of his lips is gone just as fast as it came, but Dun still managed to catch it and the corners of his lips curve upwards in an automatic response.

“We can talk about that during lunch too,” Dun assures. “There’s a restaurant connected to the company building which belongs to us. It has private rooms which your father is quite fond of, since they are bug-proof and sound-proof.”

Bas does not respond right away, instead, he chooses to take a look at the two bodyguards who are watching everything in silence. It’s almost like he is asking for guidance and the way he only looks away after they nod at him in return certainly proves so.

“I’d like that.”

Trying to not let it show just how relieved he is about Bas agreeing to this, Dun merely smiles in response.

#

The private rooms of the restaurant are located at the back and while there are no windows to offer them any natural light, the lamps and ceiling lights in the room more than make up for it. The dark color scheme of the restaurant reminds Bas a lot of the office they left not too long ago, although the walls are at least white instead of black, a color which Dun seems to adore if his choice for the interior of the room he most likely spends most of his time in is anything to go by.

Placing the folder handed to him earlier on the unoccupied chair next to the one he’s sitting on, Bas flashes the man himself and the other man’s business partner a pleasant yet tired smile before his attention is on the waitress as she hands them menus and asks for eventual beverage orders.

Bas signals for Dun and James to go first, his eyes scanning through the menu as the other two males make their orders. While his to-go order would usually be milk tea or something similar, he kind of finds it embarrassing to order something like that during a business meeting. Some may call him ridiculous for it, but he’d like to avoid adding more to his, apparently, way too youthful looks which earned him quite a few patronizing gazes from some of his father’s other business partners.

He clears his throat before shooting the waitress an apologetic gaze for making her wait. “I think I’ll just have water, thank you.”

“A glass of water,” she repeats the order dutifully as she notes it down. “Anything else, Sir?”

“No, that’s it,” he says with a shake of his head.

The waitress smiles in return and gives the three men a slight bow as she prepares to leave, only to be halted by Dun’s upheld hand. “Add one Mango Lassi, please.”

“Of course, Sir,” she hurries to scribble down the order before looking back up. “Anything else, Sir?”

“No, thank you.”

While the waitress excuses herself and moves to exit the room, Dun’s eyes wander to Bas for what was supposed to be a short glance only to catch the other male staring right back at him.

“I didn’t take you for someone who likes sweet drinks,” Bas blurts out before he can help himself, regret over his small word vomit marking his face as he presses his lips into a thin line in response to the way Dun raises his eyebrows at him.

“What kind of drinks would you expect me to like?” The older male asks casually, slender fingers gripping the menu as he looks at Bas from under his eyelashes, the intensity of his stare almost intimidating. “Hm?”

Bas licks his lips briefly before answering with a light shrug. “Something like the black coffee you had in your office earlier.”

‘Good answer,’ Dun thinks to himself, his lips curving up into a smirk. “You’re not wrong. I don’t mind having sweet things in between, though.”

The young heir gives him a light smile in return before searching the menu for something he would be able to stomach, all the while completely unaware of Dun’s unwavering stare on him as well as the concern edged on the other man’s face.

A thoughtful expression settles on James’ face as his gaze flickers between Dun and Bas before he forces his focus back on the menu in front of him, at least until his friend’s voice rings through the otherwise quiet room once more.

“Their clear soup with tofu is really good,” the younger businessman remarks casually, making no attempt at avoiding Bas’ gaze when the Piniwat heir stares at him. “In case you needed a recommendation. I know that it can be a little overwhelming to settle on something when you don’t know the place.”

Bas flashes him a tiny smile of gratitude. “Sounds good, thank you.”

It’s not long before the waitress returns with their drinks balanced on a tray which she carries in with one hand, but just as Bas is about to take a sip from his water, slender fingers he’s starting to get familiar with shove a large glass of Mango Lassi in front of him. He looks up in obvious confusion, his brows slightly furrowed.

“For you,” Dun says. “Your father once mentioned that you are quite fond of mangoes.”

“I am, but...he told you that?”

“Yeah,” is all the businessman says in return as James takes it upon himself to make the first food order before Dun follows his example.

Bas regards the sweet drink in front of him with a thoughtful expression on his face, only snapping out of it to look up at the waitress when she calls out to him to ask for his order. His choice falls on Dun’s recommendation and he briefly catches the corners of Dun’s lips turning upwards as he informs the waitress about it. Just as the waitress is done taking the orders and removing the menus, Bas leans back with his right hand gripping onto the drink Dun had ordered for him, leading the sweet beverage to his lips for a sip.

It has been four days since he allowed himself the intake of more than just plain beverages and one rice soup per day which he hasn’t even been able to finish. He can’t help but allow for the subtle smile on his lips to be replaced by a bitter one at memories of dinner during happier times when his parents kept placing more food onto his plate with a chuckle ever since he was a child. They have always adored Bas’ huge appetite and seemed to, like most parents, love seeing him eat well.

But nowadays, he barely has any appetite left. The only reason why he bothers to eat and drink anything at all is his wish to stay alive to care for his father.

A knot forms in his throat and he decides to take another sip from the Mango Lassi, swallowing down the pain along the way. He doesn’t say anything for a while, merely staring at the table in front of him as he takes one tentative sip after another. He misses the way Dun stares at him in relief, every sip he takes causing the older man to grow less worried.

It’s not until he has emptied the glass halfway that he decides to look up at his companions, heat spreading in his cheeks upon realizing that both CEOs are staring at him while he had been ignoring them for quite a while in return.

He clears his throat and straightens his posture, a steady hand placing the glass back onto the table. “It’s really good, thank you for that.”

“My pleasure,” Dun gifts him a small smile. “Your father actually said that you are quite addicted to milk tea, but that’s unfortunately not something they serve here.”

Another surprised look crosses Bas’ face before he lets out a small, startled laughter. “What other embarrassing things has my father told you about me?”

He lets his gaze flicker between Dun and James in anticipation before James shakes his head at him with a small chuckle.

“He hasn’t mentioned you in my presence,” James says with a shrug, not sounding particularly upset about having been kept in the dark. “I don’t take part in every meeting with your father, just the ones which actually do require for both of us to be present.”

“Like contract renewals?”

“Like contract renewals,” the other man confirms with a firm nod before gesturing towards his Co-CEO. “Him and Dun seemed to communicate well even without me, so I left them to it.”

Bas gives him a leisure hum of recognition before looking right at Dun to assess the older man carefully, kind of fascinated by how the man would never avoid anyone’s gaze and instead chooses to meet them heads on just like he most likely does with every challenge life and people throw his way.

Dun is an intimidating-looking man. He towers over a lot of people, his height only adding to the powerful aura surrounding him. His hair is parted on the left side with the dark strands coiffed to the each side in voluptuous yet subtle waves as hairspray keeps everything in order. Framed by the dark hair is a sharply structured face. Thick eyebrows form a prominent feature above sharp eyes with a slender nose leading from in between the dark orbs down to full-looking lips. His chin is so chiseled that it makes Bas jealous.

He briefly notices the small, silver hoop earring on the other man’s left ear before his eyes fall on Dun’s slender neck and the bit of his torso which his unbuttoned white dress shirt allows a glimpse of. He wears an unbuttoned black suit jacket over the shirt, perfectly matching the black dress pants and leather shoes he’s wearing.

The young CEO is, simply put, gorgeous.

Heat spreads through his whole body as he catches himself admiring the other man’s looks more than he probably should.

Just as his gaze finds its way back to the other man’s face, the waitress enters along with the delicious smell of the food she’s carrying in on a tray. Bas’ clear soup is the first dish to be served before the waitress moves on to serve chicken coconut soup to Dun and green curry to James, each of their dishes coming with a plate of warm rice.

They all thank the waitress briefly before she excuses herself once more, leaving the three men sitting at the table and the two Piniwat bodyguards standing by the door alone once more and as they get ready to eat, Dun catches himself eyeing Bas once more.

The first taste of the soup easily causes Bas to lose himself in the feeling of actually being able to enjoy the intake of food for the first time in days, the familiar taste of the young ivy gourd leaves making him reminisce the time when his mother was still alive and made this dish for him every Monday before school to lift his mood since she knew how much he loved it.

“Most people don’t use young ivy gourd leaves for this,” Bas mumbles quietly as he places the spoon back into the bowl and stares down at the dish with a wistful smile. “My mother used to do it. She also loved putting the leaves into omelettes.”

The gentle smile Dun sends his way in return makes something within Bas snap into place and for the first time in days, he feels genuinely at ease and comfortable with a stranger. He can understand why his father chose to talk about him with Dun.

While the other man had obviously been wary of him at first, he never made Bas feel out of place or inferior like almost all of his father’s other business partners tended to do. Dun may look intimidating and stern, and Bas did briefly hear the word ‘ruthless’ mentioned in connection to him before when his father’s assistant had tried to brief him about the other man, but Bas can tell that he has his heart at the right place.

“It must’ve tasted amazing,” the older male says, his voice just as gentle as his eyes.

“It really did,” Bas’ smile turns just a tad bit brighter. “My father and I were addicted to her cooking.”

Dun lets out a small chuckle, the sound of it doing some strange things to Bas’ heart. “Rightfully so, I’d assume. And to get back to your earlier question, I wouldn’t consider anything your father has told me about you embarrassing.”

Bas scrunches his nose slightly, fairly surprised at how easy it is to let go of the tension within him. “A man in his early twenties being addicted to milk tea is pretty embarrassing.”

The older male merely shakes his head in return, his next words coming out as a mumble. “Endearing, I’d say.”

Although it’s barely more than a whisper, Bas still manages to catch every bit of what he said. Like a deer caught in the headlights, the young heir blinks owlishly as he regards Dun for quite some time before he forces himself to look back down at the food in front of him with a shy smile on his lips.

James watches the exchange with a baffled expression on his face, almost feeling as if he got sucked into an alternate universe where his best friend actually knows words like ‘endearing’. In all the years they’ve known each other, he has genuinely never heard his friend use any word remotely similar to it towards anything or anyone.

He continues to take bites from his food while secretly keeping an eye on Dun, taking in the way his friend keeps taking glances at Bas whenever the other is not looking with great interest, but that turns out to not be the most peculiar thing he shall witness today because not long after, he actually catches the Piniwat heir looking at Dun from under his long eyelashes.

_Huh._

Smiling to himself in a mixture of amusement and awe, James lets his gaze dance between the two of them for a while before Bas seems to notice him staring and meets his gaze dead-on. He rushes to school his expression, but judging by how startled Bas looks, he hasn’t been quick enough. The eye contact between them continues for an awkward few seconds before they each rush to return to whatever they were doing before, the abruptness of their movements does not go unnoticed by Dun and just as he contemplates asking whether something is the matter, Bas pulls his entire attention back to him by clearing his throat.

“What does the business between you and my father look like?” James is mildly impressed by how casual and steady the young heir manages to sound despite the embarrassment which is still edged onto his face and even paints parts of his neck in a pretty shade of pink. “I know that it has something to do with some of the buildings you lease out for catering and entertainment establishments, for example our family’s restaurant chain, but what do you get in return?”

“Money,” Dun replies easily after wiping his mouth with a handkerchief. “I lease out the property to your father for cheaper than regular real estate companies would, he can save a lot of leasing costs compared to when he’d get involved with a more legitimate company and do his second business in the restaurants he has on our property without anyone bothering him and I get a certain percentage of the money he makes with his businesses.”

Bas nods leisurely at that, his gaze merely leaving Dun’s face for the sole purpose of replacing the glass of water he holds with the sweeter drink in his possession. “Sounds easy enough.”

Dun chuckles at that, giving him a firm nod in return. “Fairly, yes.”

“So the legal part of the contract would cover the general leasing and the less legal part would be the costs of the leasing as well as the business my father does besides managing restaurants, with you profiting off it to a certain degree. But his other business is not always equally profitable, right? If the amount of money you get from him goes even beyond the leasing costs as well as the discount you give him, you are the one profiting but my father loses money and if it does not cover the discount you give him, you’re the one at a disadvantage.”

“What I get from him always needs to go beyond the leasing costs and the discount I give him on the lease, that’s part of the contract,” the older male explains patiently and, much to Bas’ delight, without sounding anything near patronizing. “But don’t worry, your father gains more from the second business he makes on my property than he loses to me. It’s not only the discount that he’s profiting from but also the property itself since it’s always at top locations and under my personal protection.”

“Under your personal protection?” Bas wonders aloud.

An attractive smirk which almost manages to drive the redness onto Bas’ cheeks once more dances across Dun’s lips. “I have a reputation with rivaling...figures and the police.”

James lets out a snort at that. “What he means is that rivals fear him to the bone while the police thinks he’s a saint for reporting small-time criminals to them whenever those are unknowingly roaming in catering and entertainment establishments we’ve leased buildings out for and are dumb enough to get caught by our people. He’s got this image as an upright citizen with the police, so they never suspect anything.”

Bas regards Dun quietly, welcoming the gaze the other man directs at him in return rather than trying to avoid it as he places down the drink he’s been holding before leaning back to cross his legs and rest his intertwined hands on top of them. A forlorn look covers his face like a dark veil and the pain in his eyes causes both, Dun and James, to put their whole focus on him.

“My father...the reason why he’s not here right now is because he was shot,” every muscle in Bas’ body tenses as he recalls watching his father’s blood-covered body being carried into the house four days ago and he doesn’t even notice how badly he’s shaking until Dun comes down from his own shock over the news enough to calmly tell him to take a deep breath; which he does.

Just as he breathes out, his right hand comes up to caress his left arm in an attempt to calm his own nerves, slender fingers running up and down along the long expanse of pale skin until Bas has calmed down enough to just let them rest there.

“We don’t know who did it,” a frown settles on Bas’ forehead. “And since I don’t really trust anyone, I tried my best to be my father’s substitute and hide my father’s condition from everyone.”

“Then why did you tell us?” There is nothing but gentleness in Dun’s gaze as the older man speaks and Bas can’t help but think that the genuine confusion in those dark orbs are quite the nice change.

Bas can feel some of the tension drain from his body as he allows himself to smile at the man across from him, his beautiful eyes filled with so much warmth that it makes Dun’s heart skip a beat. “He has never mentioned me to any of his other business partners. Never. None of the people I’ve talked to so far while playing my father’s representative have ever heard of me but with you...he shared the most important and private part of his life with you. That must count for something, right?”

The revelation about just how much trust the Piniwat patriarch has put in him stuns Dun into silence, something barely anything or anyone has the ability to do, before he gives the younger male a kind, heartfelt smile. “It does.”


	2. A Fire Ignited

“Here,” Bas says gently as he shoves the signed contracts towards Dun and packs up the copy meant for his own safe-keeping into the folder it came in before slender fingers offer the black-golden pen back to its owner.

Dun smiles at the younger male in return as he retrieves the pen and gives the contract to James for his best friend to have a look at. “Which one of your father’s business partners will you need to face next?”

A frown takes over Bas’ face as he leans back while worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. “A man named Phassakorn, I heard that talking to him is quite the...experience.”

The uneasy feeling which has lessened during his long talk with Bas is now returning full force and Dun feels the heat in his chest rise when he notices James shooting Bas a worried gaze which does not go unnoticed by the young heir himself.

“Is he that bad?”

“You’ve probably heard about how the word most often associated with Dun is ‘ruthless’?” James briefly waits for Bas to nod in return. “The word most commonly used for Korn is ‘ghastly’. He is unpleasant and spends more time looking for entertainment in his own clubs than managing them. Your father usually takes new clients there, right?”

“That’s what his assistant told me, yes,” Bas says with a light shrug. “Apparently, he can take clients there to get VIP treatment without paying extra for it but has to keep bringing in new people. I was trying to avoid going there, but there is a new potential client who had a meet-up scheduled with my father since before all the chaos happened and because he flew in from Europe for this, we couldn’t really tell him no and unfortunately, my father already scheduled for the meet-up to be at Phassakorn’s club. If we don’t show up, it might seem suspicious.”

James lets out a sigh in return. “And you can’t have the assistant of your father cancel it with Phassakorn because he only talks to his business partners directly instead of their assistants and whatnot.”

“Yes.”

“Conceited bastard,” James curses under his breath before his gaze falls on Dun as the other CEO eyes Bas in return.

“Would you mind company for when you go to see him?”

The question visibly catches Bas off guard as the young heir’s doe eyes widen a little in response. “Pardon?”

“That talking to him is ‘quite the experience’ is an understatement,” if Bas thought that Dun had the ability to look intimidating before, it’s decidedly nothing against how menacing he looks as he talks about Phassakorn. “He is not just unpleasant, he is downright filthy. When James said that he has the tendency to look for entertainment in his own clubs rather than managing them, he means it and Korn has a preference, a certain type, if you will.”

Bas watches James shift uncomfortably next to Dun and an uneasy feeling spreads in his chest. “What type?”

Dun exchanges a short glance with James before answering. “Pale, sweet-faced and pretty. So...you.”

While he does feel flattered by how Dun associates those attributes with him, the imagination of himself falling prey to someone like Phassakorn makes Bas shiver unpleasantly. He swallows hard before crossing his arms in a subtle attempt at embracing himself protectively.

“How influenced will he be by my bodyguards’ presence?” Dun hates the uncertainty and slight fear in Bas’ voice and when the younger man gives said bodyguards an unsure look, he feels his whole body go cold.

“I can accompany you,” is what Dun chooses to say instead of giving Bas a straight answer, the slight hope mixed with obvious surprise in Bas’ eyes causes Dun’s lips to curve upwards in what he hopes to be a reassuring smile. “You being Mr. Piniwat’s son might be enough to keep him at bay, but it might help to have me around.”

Bas tilts his head at that, the small endearing gesture underlining his youthfulness as he looks at Dun warily. “You would really do that?”

“I would, if you’d let me.”

A pause follows in which Bas merely stares down at the table in front of him with Dun spending the seconds in which the Piniwat heir does not speak on looking at him in anticipation. “I would like that.”

The relief he feels shows itself on his face only briefly and by the time Bas looks back up, his features have morphed back into their standard setting, although he does allow for the corners of his lips to curve up slightly as he gives Bas an answering nod.

“Then I’ll accompany you.”

His words cause Bas to breathe out in obvious relief before a gentle smile of gratitude shows itself on lips which have now regained some of their natural color. Dun briefly glances James’ way when his friend starts to pack away the papers before he looks back at the man sitting across from him just as the waitress enters to rid them of the empty dishes and glasses.

“Would you like to have dessert?” Dun asks gently, his lips curving up into a smile when Bas gives him a puzzled look in return. “Their ice cream is pretty good, and not too sweet.”

“What would your recommendation be?”

“The mixed bowl. You can have them serve you a bowl with one scoop of each flavor.”

“Maximum experience in only one bowl,” James chimes in with a wink, his smile turning into a smirk when the gesture earns him a glare from Dun.

The small exchange does not go unnoticed by Bas, but he just chalks it up to Dun simply disapproving of James being too informal with a client.

“It does sound good, I’ll have that,” Bas watches on as the waitress notes down his order before lifting the tablet full of empty dishes and excuses herself. 

The light quirk of his lips does not disappear as he leans back in a more relaxed position, a calming feeling of peacefulness settling in his chest.

When he first heard of Dun and James, he would’ve never expected to ever find anything akin to companions in them. While James had not been described as ruthless unlike his partner, he had been warned to not underestimate him under any circumstances. Dun is the one to do things upfront, the raging force who has no qualms of letting you know how much cruelty in dealing with your mistakes is to be expected while James is the devious observer who will smile at you as he takes in your every move in one second before stopping your heartbeat in the next. 

But here they are, being the first solid source of support he was able to find outside of his own home, offering their assistance and protection.

#

_“How bad is your father’s condition, if you don’t mind me asking?” James shoots the young Piniwat heir a sympathetic look, the genuine concern in his eyes the perfect replica of the one Bas finds in Dun’s._

_“He spent the majority of the past few days going in and out of consciousness. A full-body anesthesia aids him in getting some sleep and he has strong painkillers to help him out during the times he is actually awake,” Bas’ voice cracks slightly as he recalls sitting by his father’s bed with the older man’s ragged breathing and whimpers of pain filling the whole room, each sound tearing Bas apart just a little more. “The longest he had been able to stay awake in one go was a little over two hours. It’s getting better, but he will take much longer than a few days to recover.”_

_“Your father is a fighter,” is all Dun says in return._

_As much as he wants to reassure Bas and tell him that things are going to be alright again, he doesn’t want to give him false hope. He knows just how fragile the life of a human can be and he is not going to pretend being optimistic about something which has a high chance of changing for the worse within a single heartbeat._

_Bas nods in return, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. “He really is.”_

_“And so are you,” Dun gives Bas a significant look upon noticing what looks like the start of a protest coming from the younger male. “You are. You said that you were originally raised to be your father’s successor in every way, but something obviously changed if you’re talking about it in past tense. And yet, you’re here trying your best to be your father’s representative and fight your way through judgmental and assessing looks from his business partners of which some are downright unpleasant, I’m sure.”_

_“I just don’t want everything he spent the majority of his life building up to get destroyed,” the young heir shrugs helplessly in return, very much looking his age as he allows himself to show some of his vulnerability. “So I’m doing everything I can to prevent it from happening.”_

_Dun and James exchange a look at that, mutual understanding flashing in their eyes before they look back at the younger male sitting across from them._

_“We’d be happy to help,” James says, a friendly smile on his lips. “If you’d let us.”_

_“Help me?”_

_Dun and James both nod in return with the former speaking up this time around. “As your backup; your additional support.”_

_Bas seems, to say the least, completely befuddled as he stares at them. “You would do that?”_

_“Not everything in this...field of work is about lies and deceit,” James offers with a slight shrug of his shoulders. “It’s precisely because truthfulness is hard to find in this industry that we are so inclined to keep trustworthy partners and good partnerships.”_

_Dun’s gaze softens as he meets Bas’ eyes. “Your father is a kind and honest man. During the period of knowing each other, he has not only been a good business partner but also a man I’ve personally grown to look up to a lot. I won’t overstep and dare claim him as a friend, but the sentiment is very similar on my side.”_

_There is a newfound softness to Bas’ facial expression and the tension visibly bleeds out of his shoulders, the way he’s holding himself now significantly more relaxed. This causes Dun to feel a lot more at ease as well and if the way James subtly releases the breath he’s obviously been holding is anything to go by, so does his best friend._

_“Thank you,” Bas makes sure to avoid their eyes as he speaks, his voice wavering as emotions he has willed himself to suppress for so long threaten to jump to the surface. “I really appreciate that, and so would my father. I can see why he told you so much about himself and me.”_

#

Bas snaps out of his thoughts just as the waitress enters with the ice cream he has ordered, placing it in front of him with a smile as Bas thanks her. As she turns to leave, the clicking of her heels ring through the room until she makes her exit.

The colorful scoops of ice cream are aeshetically served in a watermelon bowl and Bas can’t help but smile at the neat presentation as he takes his first bite, the delicious taste of lychee causing him to let out a pleased hum before the noise is cut-off upon him remembering the two men sitting across from him.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it,” James chuckles. “I had the same reaction when I first tried it. It’s really good, right? My favorite is sweet corn and the one they make is amazing.”

“Mine has always been Thai Tea,” Bas replies just as his gaze lands on Dun. “How about yours?”

“Green Tea,” Dun smiles good-naturedly. “There’s rarely any store which makes it too sweet, so it’s a safe bet for someone like me.”

Bas hums in response before taking another bite. “I think you would love black sesame ice cream. It’s rather nutty with a little bit of bitterness, but not to an unpleasant extent.”

“I will give it a try once I get the chance,” the older male promises, his smile widening in response to Bas’ pleased one.

Seemingly content with Dun’s reply, Bas’ gaze focuses back on the sweet treat in front of him, the heaviness in his chest getting less prominent with every bite.

#

James follows Dun into his office without a word, a light smirk dancing across his lips as he resumes his earlier position on the couch while Dun makes his way towards his desk. Once seated, Dun looks over at his friend with a raised eyebrow before a frown settles on his face upon noticing the smirk James sports.

“What?”

“Suradet Piniwat.”

“What about him?” Dun asks, the tone in which he speaks turning more gentle as he looks away from James in favor of turning on his laptop, his eyes wandering over the needed papers on his desk while waiting for the Log-In screen to pop up.

“You’re attracted to him,” James states straight out. “There’s no use denying it. I’ve known you for a while now and I’ve never seen you act like that towards anyone, especially not during the first encounter, not even during your dating days in High School.”

Dun shows no reaction at first, remaining silent for quite a few seconds even though he feels James’ eyes on him as he stares at the laptop screen in front of him in return. “When have I ever denied the truth in front of you?”

“So, are you going to do something about it?”

Leaning back with a sigh, Dun looks over to his best friend with a wry smile. “I shouldn’t. Not while he’s in such a vulnerable position.”

James’ smirk is swiftly replaced by a soft smile which matches the gaze he sends his friend’s way. “But you want to take care of him.”

“Yeah,” Dun says breathily. “I’m worried that the lines between ‘taking care of him’ and ‘actively trying to get closer to him’ will start to get blurry over time.”

“I get that, I really do,” the older man’s eyes get a worried glint to them as he looks at Dun. “But don’t try to pull away too much or you might ruin more than you want to save.”

Silence settles in the room as Dun stares ahead of him, his gaze unfocused as he lets James’ words sink in. Ruining things with Bas, and by extent also with the younger male’s father, is exactly what Dun is worried about. The attraction he feels for the heir has enough of a pull on him to make the mere thought of pulling away from the other fill him with dread.

It’s kind of strange how easily the feeling came to be. And yet, in hindsight, the Piniwat patriarch’s talks about his son might have helped a little. He has heard so much about Bas prior to this that it almost felt like he knew him before he even got to meet him and when the young heir finally stood in front of him, it was like he could finally connect a face to the impressive young man he has heard so much about. And what a gorgeous face it is.

Bas obviously trusts them enough to feel at ease around them and he doesn’t want to ruin that by losing himself in his own attraction too much and too soon. While he is usually someone who can reel in his own feelings so well that countless people have dubbed him as ‘emotionless’ and plans each step he takes in life with utter precision, he is also someone who easily loses himself to positive feelings he bears for others.

It’s not easy for anyone to awaken those feelings within him, but once they do, it’s hard for his feelings to change.

He somehow wishes they would’ve met under better circumstances; circumstances which wouldn’t make him feel so conflicted about being attracted to someone.

But in the end, he knows that there is no way for him to pull back and away from Bas. He has promised himself to take care of him even before he told Bas that he would do so. Not in so many words, but he did offer the younger man his support and companionship. And there is no way he’s going to go back on his words, with or without feelings involved.

“Don’t overthink,” James rises himself off the couch and heads towards the office doors before coming to a halt in front of them. “Let things happen as they come.”

Dun chuckles dryly. “When have I ever let things happen as they come?”

“Well, then the time for you to learn that lesson may have come,” the older CEO smiles at Dun good-naturedly before he turns around to exit the office and leaves his friend to his thoughts.

The only noise breaking through the silence within the spacious office afterwards is the sound coming from his laptop’s vent which accompanies the whirlwind of thoughts in his head.

“Suradet.”

#

_“Thank you,” Bas says to the two businessmen as they all come to a stop next to the car of which one of the bodyguards is holding the door open for him. “When I came here today, I expected this to go like most of the other business meetings I’ve previously attended, but things turned out a whole lot different from what I imagined and I’m really thankful for that; I’m thankful to you.”_

_The genuine smiles he receives in return prompts his own lips to curve upwards once more, something they barely had the chance to do for a few days now._

_“We’ll try to help you the best we can,” Dun says while James nods in agreement. “As for your visit to Phassakorn’s club, I will add the number you’ve given us to my contacts later on and message you so we can talk about the details.”_

_“Sure,” Just as Bas is about to turn around and get into the car, James speaks up._

_“Can I ask you something?”_

_The young heir raises his eyebrows in brief surprise before nodding in response. “Of course.”_

_“You trusted Dun because your father obviously trusts him enough to tell him about you, but why did you trust me? I’ve never heard anything about you before.”_

_Bas’ eyes wander towards the younger businessman as his smile widens a little, his gaze lingering there as he speaks. “Because Mr. Romchumpa trusts you and my father trusts him.”_

_James raises his eyebrows at that. “That simple?”_

_“That simple,” Bas confirms, amusement shimmering in his eyes when he sees the slightly stunned look James gives him._

_“You can call me by my first name, if you’d like,” Dun chimes in. “We’re around the same age and we’ll get to know each other better either way from now on, so we might as well start to get more familiar with each other step by step.”_

_James nods in agreement when Bas’ gaze wanders to him for a brief second as if to gauge his reaction._

_“Then may I call you Khun Dun and Khun James? I don’t really feel comfortable addressing someone older without any honorifics,” Bas explains. “You can call me either Suradet or Bas, whatever you prefer.”_

_“Suradet is a good middle ground for now,” the younger CEO muses. “It might be a little too soon to call you by your nickname. We don’t want to overstep.”_

_And although Bas would love to tell him that he wouldn’t consider it overstepping since he did offer it himself, he can understand where Dun comes from._

_“Sounds good,” the younger man agrees before recalling something which has him let out a short ‘Ah!’, slim fingers reaching into jacket pocket to retrieve his wallet. “Before I forget.”_

_The two CEOs merely watch him in silence, curious gazes following his movements until he gets a business card out of the wallet’s confines and hands the peach-colored paper to James. “You mentioned to Khun Dun earlier that you need to look for a new secretary as soon as possible. My friend is a business major who’s currently looking for a better boss, sounds like you’re just what the other has been searching for.”_

_“Jetsadakorn Bundit,” James reads out the name carefully._

_“Give it a try,” is all Bas says before he excuses himself with a smile, soon disappearing into the safe confines of the car before the door gets closed and blocks the two businessmen’s view on him._

#

Bas walks out of the bathroom wearing grey sweatpants and a loose white t-shirt, bare feet padding over the floor of the poorly lit room as he dries his hair with a towel. Coming to a halt in front of his nightstand, the young heir retrieves his phone from the wooden surface and sits down on the edge of his bed as he unlocks the device to go through his notifications.

What catches his attention right away is the notification for a text message from an unknown number.

**Good evening, Suradet. Here’s Dun.**

Smiling to himself, Bas places his towel aside to save the new contact before typing out his answer with both thumbs.

**Good evening, Khun Dun.**

**Thank you again for today, to Khun James as well.**

**My pleasure, and I will extend the thanks to James as well.**

**When exactly is the meet-up at Phassakorn’s club scheduled for?**

**The day after tomorrow at 6 PM. I’m going to meet the client there.**

**We could meet up at the company and you can either come with**

**me in my car while our bodyguards can follow us in another car**

**or you and your bodyguards can follow my car to the club,**

**whatever you prefer.**

**I think it might be better if we were to go there in the same car.**

**I might have a few last minute questions on that day.**

**Alright, I’ll be waiting for you around 5 PM, that should be**

**enough to get us there on time despite traffic.**

**Thank you, for doing this.**

**I must admit, I was worried about the meet-up.**

**I haven’t heard much about Phassakorn prior to this, but**

**the things I did hear about him didn’t do my nerves any good.**

**Don’t worry, I’ll be there with you all the way.**

Bas’ smile widens a little as he reads the last text message coming from the older male, his gaze getting softer as he replies.

**I’m glad.**

**Good night, Khun Dun.**

**Sleep well, Suradet.**

The concern he has formerly felt when thinking of the meet-up at the club has now lessened significantly and instead of finding his heart racing out of nervousness, he finds himself feeling warm and almost safe instead. If nothing, he will at least have someone more experienced there with him, someone who will have his back and watch out for him if needed.

#

James lets out a sigh as he stares at the pile of papers in front of him of which his secretary was supposed to help him with today but couldn’t because she was too busy getting fired by him, a headache slowly starting to form as he thinks about the extra hours he will have to do to get everything done.

A fleeting glance across his desk makes his gaze land on the business card he had received from Bas earlier as the small piece of paper lies next to his laptop with the information on there written in the neat ‘Avant Garde’ font.

He then spares the clock a quick glance before taking a hold of the business card and his phone, swiftly dialing the number on there in hopes that he’s not going to drive his potential savior away by calling him this late. But he’s swamped in work and kind of desperate.

He bites onto his bottom lip gently as he waits for the other man to pick up, holding the phone to his ear with his right hand while the slender fingers of his left hand play around with the peach-colored business card, flipping it around between them nervously.

“Hello, Jet speaking,” a cheery voice replaces the dial tone and James automatically clears his throat before speaking up.

“Is this Mr. Bundit?”

“Yeah, that’s me. Who’s there?”

“I’m James Kasama Khanjanawattana, a business partner of your friend, Mr. Suradet Piniwat.”

“Bas?” The other man asks, a little surprised.

“Yes,” James replies. “I’m sorry for calling you this late, but he told me that you’re currently searching for a better boss.”

A melodious laughter rings through from the other side and it makes James smile in return, the other man’s cheerfulness so contagious that it easily manages to lift the CEO’s mood as well.

“That does sound like something Bas would say,” Jet admits. “I wouldn’t have been so blatant about it but yes, I’m currently looking for new job opportunities.”

“Well I happen to be looking for a better secretary, or any secretary at all, really. Would you be interested?”

A nerve-wrecking silence takes over for a few brief moments and James can’t help but worry his bottom lip between his teeth as he waits, only to startle back from his phone when Jet does finally speak up more enthusiastically than expected. “Really? I mean-really?”

Once the initial shock subsides, James lets out a light chuckle in return. “Yes, really. The job is yours if you want it.”

“Without a job interview?”

“Without a job interview,” James says easily. “I’m currently without any secretary and need someone new as soon as possible, but I don’t want to rush you. Whenever you can get out of your current job is fine with me.”

“I’m still within the probation period at my current job, so I can definitely get out of it within the next week.”

James releases his breath in relief, making mental notes to himself to thank Bas the next time he sees him.

“But are you sure that you don’t want to have a job interview with me first?” Jet sounds unsure as he speaks. “I could be completely unfitting for the job for all you know.”

“It’s fine,” the CEO is quick to assure. “Who knows, maybe I’ll end up being the unfitting one, but I’m ready to take the chance if you are. We can just try it out for a few weeks and if it doesn’t work out then I’ll make sure to help you find a better job. Besides, I have a feeling that I can trust Mr. Piniwat’s judgement.”

“I-okay,” comes the eventual agreement. “Sounds good, let’s do that.”

Ever since he graduated from High School, James never thought that he would feel the need to do a fist-pump ever again but right at this very moment, he can barely suppress the urge to do just that and suddenly, the mountain of work waiting for him on his desk doesn’t seem that impossible to tackle anymore.

“Thank you,” James sighs in relief. “You’re saving me.”

Jet chuckles in return. “Trust me, you’re the one saving me right now. I’ll get back to you about my current job once I know more, would that be alright?”

“Sure, you can just call this number since, well, I don’t have a secretary to answer any calls for me right now and my business partner’s secretary is already swamped in work.”

“Any specific time frame I need to pay attention to? I wouldn’t want to disturb you during meetings or anything.”

‘He’s already more attentive than the last one,’ James thinks to himself. “I don’t have a certain time frame for things and meetings are always stretched around different times throughout the day. I always have my phone on mute, so you don’t need to worry about that. If I don’t pick up, just wait for me to call you back and we should be fine.”

“Alright,” Jet agrees easily. “I can do that.”

The CEO’s lips curve up some more. “Good.”

#

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come along?” James asks just as they make their way out of the elevator.

Dun smirks in return. “You’re just trying to find a reason to punch Phassakorn.”

“Should’ve already gotten that punch in when he tried to attack you back then.”

“I did get a punch in, if you recall.”

The older CEO sighs at that. “But I didn’t. Although hearing his nose crack was really satisfying. If you get the chance to sucker punch him, make sure to record it. For science.”

“Sure,” Dun says with one raised eyebrow. “For science.”

James merely smirks in return as they make their way through the lobby and towards the main entrance where Dun’s most trusted bodyguards are already waiting for him, together with Bas and two men Dun has never seen around before.

Upon spotting him, the group of people fully turn around to face him with Earth and Zee approaching him slowly, the two of them towering over several people as they walk through the crowd.

“Boss,” Earth says as a greeting before gesturing behind himself as he and Zee come to a halt in front of him with their gaze casted upwards towards him.

“New bodyguards?” Dun asks with a fleeting glance at the two men flanking Bas, both of them sporting a hard look with the one around his height showing absolutely no emotion while the smaller one gives him an assessing stare.

“Not really,” Zee starts to explain, first gesturing towards the taller, buffer one before moving on to the one around his and Earth’s height who’s more on the lean rather than the muscular side. “Ohm and Kao, seem to have been around for quite a while now from what we could catch. They talked about how they’ve actually met Phassakorn before.”

“Poor them,” the CEO remarks, earning himself chuckles all around before he walks past his bodyguards with James following him silently.

Unlike two days before, Bas’ outfit today follows the black color scheme, the dark color accentuating his pale skin to an extent Dun didn’t think was possible. His upper body is covered by a black turtleneck shirt with silver necklaces worn on top of it; a black blazer completing the top part of the outfit while black jeans hug his legs snuggly down to black leather shoes.

The sickly paleness to his skin is mostly gone and while he can still tell that Bas obviously lacks the proper amount of sleep and nutrition, things have visibly improved since they last met. His eyes are clearer now while some of the natural pinkness has seemingly permanently returned to his lips, the small shivers from that day completely gone.

“Good evening,” Dun greets the younger male with an easy smile to which Bas replies to with one of his own.

“Good evening,” the heir says in return as he looks at both, Dun and James, before gesturing towards his bodyguards in turns. “These are P’Ohm and P’Kao, my personal bodyguards.”

The two men to Bas’ left and right give Dun and James a light, respectful nod of their heads upon being introduced with the two businessmen acknowledging them by nodding in response.

“Are you ready?” James asks, giving Bas an encouraging smile when he spots the light glint of nervousness in the young heir’s eyes despite the brave smile he puts on. “Don’t worry, Phassakorn is all bark and no bite when it comes down to it. Dun, on the other hand, is the complete opposite, so you definitely have the right person with you.”

Dun shoots his friend a grateful look before his eyes are on Bas. “Where did you park?”

“At the front,” Bas says with a glance towards the building’s entrance.

The older man hums in response before gesturing towards the elevators which also lead down to the company’s parking garage. “Then I’ll go and get my car real quick, would you like to come with me right away or would you like to wait here?”

“I can go with you right away,” the young heir responds as he signals for his two bodyguards to lead Earth and Zee towards the car like they’ve agreed on prior to this.

“I’ll also get going,” James chimes in with a smile towards Bas. “And thank you for your recommendation, your friend might save me from a week’s worth of headache.”

“You’re welcome,” a gentle smile settles on Bas’ lips. “He seemed really excited when he told me about your call. You’re saving him from a lot of headache as well, you know?”

“Is his current boss that bad?”

“Very much,yes,” Bas frowns in displeasure as he answers. “But that’s Jet’s story to tell.”

Albeit curious, James merely nods in return before giving his friend a pat on his shoulder. “Talk to you later, take care.”

“You too,” the younger CEO replies and watches James walking away before he looks back at Bas once more. “Shall we go?”

The young heir nods in response. “Sure.”

He then follows Dun silently as the other leads him towards the elevators, shooting the other man a grateful smile when Dun naturally steps aside to let him enter first once the doors to the one heading downwards open. 

Two women are already in there as they enter and while Dun seems completely unaware, Bas does notice the way they look at the young CEO, their eyes shyly raking over his entire form before getting stuck on his face. Bas turns away with a suppressed smile of amusement, not really being able to blame the ladies for it.

Dun does look really good and black seems to be just his color. His entire attire is black today, starting from his black dress shirt and jacket over to his black trousers and down to his black shoes; each piece of clothing manages to highlight the taller man’s well-proportioned body in all the right ways.

Once they arrive on the lowest floor, Dun gestures for Bas to step out first and the young heir does just so before allowing for the CEO to lead him away towards his own car. The two women do follow them for quite a few steps before turning right towards their own vehicle, not missing to steal glances of Dun even from afar; much to Bas’ growing amusement.

It’s kind of endearing.

“Here we are,” Dun says as they come to a stand next to a black Mustang and Bas can’t help but think of how fitting it is for the other man to have such a beautiful, impressive car, in what seems to be in the CEO’s signature color no less.

The other man automatically goes to the passenger side to open the door for him, the smile he sports is gentle and patient as he waits until Bas is securely seated inside so he can close the door again. Dun himself enters the car just as Bas is done buckling up his seat belt, the file folder with the needed documents neatly balanced on his lap.

Bas notices Dun shooting him a short glance as if checking up on him before the car roars to life and they’re backing out of the parking space.

“Where is the customer from, specifically?”

“Germany.”

“That’s good, right?” The older male asks as he drives towards the parking garage’s exit. “Your father told me that you studied in Germany.”

“Yes, being able to speak German might help,” Bas replies, his gaze shortly landing on two familiar faces as they drive past, the small grin on his lips short-lived but still prominent. “My father’s assistant said that he owns a company dealing with import and export. My father is trying to import european food for his newest project.”

“The european-style restaurant chain.”

“Yes. He wants to make them as authentic as possible to bring in more people,” leaning back against the carseat more comfortably, Bas takes a short glance out of the window before focusing on what’s in front of him once more as they drive out of the parking garage and towards the front of the building.

“Yeah, he told me,” the CEO remarks gently as they pass the entrance and are soon followed by the black Mercedes in which Dun has seen the Piniwat patriarch arrive at their meetings several times. “He also told me that you inspired the idea; you and your love for Europe.”

Bas turns his head to look at the other man so fast that he almost gives himself a whiplash. “He-really?”

Dun hums in response. “He said he likes the way your eyes seem to sparkle whenever you talk about your time studying in Europe and that he’s only ever seen you being like that when eating desserts or sweets.”

Upon hearing the last part, Bas looks away in embarrassment, his cheeks now slightly pink. “Father…”

Dun doesn’t say anything further, but the grin he sports on his lips is prominent enough to have his dimples show; which Bas notices. He smiles to himself gently at the sight and is once again reminded of how he has always been so envious of people with dimples.

“Dimples really do make smiles more pretty,” he mutters under his breath, instantly regretting it when Dun turns to look at him with his eyebrows raised, the gaze lingering even as Bas turns slightly to look out of the window instead.

A few seconds of silence pass before a deep chuckle can be heard from the driver’s seat, the words which follow are sweet and genuine instead of mocking. “Thank you.”

Sometimes, when Dun talks to him this gently, it’s almost hard to imagine him as anything else but good-natured and friendly. But Bas knows better than to underestimate him. Someone in Dun’s position and the matching reputation to go with isn’t up there without a good reason and during the moments where Dun is not interacting with anyone he’s on friendly terms with but lost in his own thoughts instead, the change in his aura is almost chilling.

And albeit knowing all of that, Bas can’t help but feel affected. Given, it doesn’t help that Dun has such an attractive voice.

“Your personal bodyguards are not new to their job, I assume.”

Bas swallows as the sound of Dun’s voice pulls him out of his string of thoughts, his eyes automatically wandering towards the voice’s owner. “Um-no, they aren’t. They started working for my father when I was still in High School and have been my personal bodyguards since then although they didn’t accompany me to Germany. And after I came back, I didn’t really need them to be with me all the time since I was surrounded by my father’s employees and people either way at my workplace. In fact, this is the first time since before I went to Germany that they’ve accompanied me somewhere.”

“So you didn’t take them with you to the other meetings with your father’s business partners?”

“No,” Bas confirms. “I thought it would be smarter to take my father’s bodyguards with me since they know the people my father usually works with better than anyone else and are the safer choice when meeting with people I neither know nor trust.”

A low hum escapes from Dun’s lips as he takes a short glance into the rear-view mirror before coming to a stop at a red light. “What made you take them with you this time around?”

“Ohm knocked one of Phassakorn’s men out because he got too close to my father and Kao broke another one’s nose for trying to help said man, so they left quite the impression” the young heir chuckles at the imagination of the scenario in his head. “Besides, I have you with me.”

And although Dun knows that logically, Bas is most likely referring to how he has someone trustworthy and knowledgeable in him as a companion, the words still leave a pleasant feeling in his chest which he can’t rid himself of no matter how hard he tries.

#

The instant they arrive at the club, a foreigner donning a dark-grey suit comes into view. He holds himself with utter confidence despite the curious looks he draws, both of his hands stuck in his trouser pocket as he stares straight ahead calmly.

“I guess that’s your client,” Dun remarks as he drives onto the club’s parking lot, making sure to park as close to the street as possible with the black Mercedes harboring their bodyguards following suit.

He takes a short glance to the right as the bodyguards get out of the vehicle to wait there patiently before his eyes are on Bas, his heart squeezing at the sight of the younger man trying to calm himself down by taking a deep breath with his slender fingers tightly gripping onto the folder in his lap. The urge to take those hands and squeeze them reassuringly is strong, but he chooses to place his left hand onto the other’s right arm instead, the lingering touch causing Bas to look up at him.

And although Bas tries to fight through all the nervousness and uncertainty he harbors in his heart with a smile, it’s not hard to see right through it.

“You’ll do more than fine,” the CEO assures, giving Bas’ arm a gentle squeeze. “You have also gotten past your father’s other business partners.”

“Yeah, people who have been working with my father for years now, but this one is different. He doesn’t know my father beyond a few phone calls and the start of my father’s new project is heavily dependent on this deal.”

“And you’ll seal the deal. All you need to focus on, is the client. You have me and the bodyguards there to take care of everything else and I will not leave your side, I promise.”

The smile Dun receives in return is almost forlorn, so much so that he allows for his hand to wander downwards to the other man’s wrist instead, gripping it gently. “I know you can do it.”

And something he has done or said must’ve worked, because in the next second, Bas’ whole face lights up with confidence and certainty; a look which Dun would love to keep on there all the time.

“Thank you.”

Dun merely nods in return, an encouraging smile on his lips as he removes his hand and turns off the engine to retrieve his car keys before stepping out of the car with Bas following his example. He can see the bodyguards approaching and is quick to note the way Bas’ bodyguards make sure to check up on the young heir.

The walk from the parking lot to the front of the club is short and Bas’ posture grows more prim the closer they get to the man they have spotted earlier and their group of six not only draws the attention of people passing by as well as club visitors but also of the man still standing by the club entrance.

He seems to be around Dun’s age if not a little older, his height on par with Zee, Earth and Kao while his build is more on the thinner side. His short brown hair is not particularly styled but still looks very orderly while a 5 O’Clock shadow decorates his chiseled chin.

“Hello, are you Mr. Kaiser?” Bas asks in English instead of German once they are close enough, just to make sure.

“I am,” the man replies with a smile, his green eyes kind. “You can also call me Adrian, I don’t mind. But you’re not the Mr. Piniwat I envisioned.”

“Ich bin sein Sohn. Er lässt sich entschuldigen, [ _I’m his son. He sends his apologies,_ ]” the heir’s apologetic smile soon turns into a victorious one when his usage of the German language causes Adrian to shoot him a stunned yet impressed look in return.

“Sie sprechen Deutsch? [ _You can speak German?_ ]”

“Ja, ich habe für ein paar Jahre in Deutschland gelebt und dort studiert, [ _Yeah, I lived in Germany for a few years and studied there,_ ]” Bas then gestures towards Dun. “Das ist Herr Romchumpa, er ist mein Geschäftspartner. Ich hoffe es ist in Ordnung, dass er hier ist. [ _This is Mr. Romchumpa, he’s my business partner. I hope it’s okay that he’s here._ ]

“Klar, [Sure.]” Adrian says with a light shrug before him and Dun exchange polite smiles as well as a nod of recognition.

“Shall we go in?” Dun then asks in English, leading the way when he receives answering nods from Adrian and Bas with not only the Piniwat heir’s bodyguards but also Dun’s own making sure to stick as closely to Bas as possible as per the older man’s instructions prior to this.

“Mr. Romchumpa,” the bouncer greets, his tone cool yet respectful. “What brings you here today?”

“Just a business meeting.”

The bouncer nods leisurely in response before asking Dun to step forward first, the tall man casually lifting his arms as he gets patted down and stepping aside once he gets a nod of approval in return. He remains there as the others go through the same procedure, waiting patiently until the very last of them gets waved through.

And as he leads them further into the club, Bas can’t help but notice the light change in the way Dun carries himself.

If Dun seemed confident and dominant before, it’s nothing compared to the level of confidence and dominance he exudes at this very moment. He spares absolutely no one a glance as he strides forward; no one except Bas, who he makes sure to keep close to himself at all times.

And Bas is thankful for it. Unlike many people his age, Bas is really not a fan of loud places like clubs or bars. He prefers meet ups at restaurants and relaxing evenings at home over partying any time.

Adrian follows them in silence, merely smiling in return when Bas turns to check up on him before their whole group comes to a halt by a spiral staircase where another bouncer is waiting. Dun steps aside before signaling for Bas to move forward, which the Piniwat heir does without hesitation.

“Piniwat and Romchumpa,” Bas says, his voice just as steadfast as his posture.

Much to Dun’s annoyance, the man standing by the staircase barely offers Bas a glance before directing his whole attention at Dun instead. “Has Mr. Piniwat taken a drink from the fountain of youth?”

The bouncer’s laughter dies down just as fast as it came when Dun’s whole expression morphs into something so eerie that it has the bouncer flinch visibly. “When you’re done running that big mouth of yours, do your job, alright?”

A long stretch of silence follows before the bouncer clears his throat with an awkward expression. “But Mr. Piniwat-”

“Has sent his son in his stead,” Dun cuts him off, merely raising an eyebrow challengingly when the man looks between him and Bas sceptically.

A mere nod is given to them afterwards as the man steps aside to let them pass, his gaze carefully directed at the ground when Dun walks past him to climb the stairs after Bas. And when Dun takes a glance downwards from a few stairs up, he allows for his lips to curve up into a small smirk when he notices Adrian glaring at the bouncer while walking past him.

He doesn’t seem to appreciate the lack of respect towards Bas very much either. 

_Good_.

Once upstairs, Dun and Bas are both happy to note that the area is completely void of people as of now with the exception of one waiter who leaves the mini bar especially made for this area to approach them while the bartender gives them a curious look.

“Welcome,” the waiter speaks. “Will you remain as a group of seven or will you be joined by others?”

“It’s only us,” Bas replies before following the waiter as he leads them towards a seating area in the corner across from the bar.

When Dun signals for him to go first, Bas chooses to sit right at the corner piece of the couch with the older man choosing to sit on Bas’ left just as Adrian goes to sit to Bas’ right while keeping a respectful distance, green eyes briefly following the movements of the bodyguards as the four men make sure to flank the seating area with two on each side.

When the waiter hands them beverage menus, Adrian does skim through it leisurely whereas Bas chooses to turn to Dun for advice instead. Upon noticing Bas’ questioning gaze, Dun immediately leans closer so Bas wouldn’t need to raise his voice over the music; getting so close that Bas’ nose actually bumps against his cheek. The small contact causes both of them to turn their heads slightly and look at each other, the proximity between them so close that Dun would be able to count each of Bas’ lashes if he wanted.

They hold each other’s gaze for quite a few electrifying seconds until Bas is the one to duck his head first to break the eye contact with a timid smile. “D-Do you have any recommendations for me?”

Dun clears his throat and forces himself to not get distracted by the flowery smell coming from Bas as he whispers next to the other’s ear. “Do you even want to drink?”

“Not really,” Bas barely manages to suppress a shiver upon feeling the other’s breath on his skin.

“Then don’t. Just order anything and then leave it on the table.”

“Okay,” Bas agrees easily and when the two of them lean back and away from each other, their movements are slow; almost hesitant.

Adrian, who hasn’t been able to look away unlike the waiter did upon noticing the two of them staring at each other, merely smiles in return when Bas meets his gaze, not commenting on anything as he looks up at the waiter to make his order. “I’ll have a Mojito.”

The waiter notes the order down with a smile and then looks at Bas and Dun in turns before putting his whole focus on Bas once Dun gives him a shake of his head in response. 

The Piniwat heir lets his gaze wander over the beverage menu rather aimlessly before trying his luck in ordering the drink written at the top of the page. “One Blackberry Mojito for me, please.”

“Sure, coming right up, Sir,” the waiter says, excusing himself when it gets clear that none of the others would make an additional order.

“So” Adrian drawls in English, only continuing when both, Dun and Bas, are looking at him. “Would you prefer for us to talk in English?”

The last bit is said with a glance at Dun, which, in hindsight, is understandable since Bas did introduce him as his business partner and it makes sense for Adrian to assume that whatever business he’s getting himself into would also be of Dun’s concern since Bas didn’t really specify which kind of business partner Dun is.

Before Bas has time to do anything beyond turning his head to look at the man to his left, Dun speaks up with a fleeting smile. “Whatever you prefer. If you’d like to talk in German, Mr. Piniwat can either translate or explain things to me if need be. I’m here in the position of an advisor on demand more than anything.”

“We can do it in English, I think that’s more convenient,” Adrian says with a smile before accepting the papers Bas has fished out of the file folder in the meantime.

Dun leans back with a subtle uptick of his lips, his eyes scanning the area from time to time while they remain on Bas otherwise as the Piniwat heir starts to explain some of the contract conditions. He merely gives the waiter a sideway glance when the drinks are brought to the table and just like he had suggested, Bas does not touch his drink and Adrian fortunately does not ask him to toast on anything; which a lot of other people would’ve done.

The longer he watches on, the more he is convinced that Bas can handle himself more than fine when it comes to negotiations. He’s eloquent, charming and witty; three things which can only be of an advantage to possess when you’re trying to convince someone of something the diplomatic way. At some point, Dun finds his gaze wandering from Bas’ general direction to the other’s eyes which seem to grow prettier when radiating positivity, moving on to the other’s cute, slightly hooked nose before landing on Bas’ plush lips which curve up into small, polite smiles every so often.

There are still signs of exhaustion on his face, like the small hint of dark circles under his eyes and the tired, barely-there smile he sports whenever he thinks no one is looking at him too closely.

But he hopes that with time, he will be able to help him get better.

The sudden addition of voices to the VIP area paired with the way the bodyguards grow more rigid causes Dun to avert his gaze from Bas to look to his left, where Phassakorn is currently climbing the stairs with an entourage of ladies and two of his men.

He looks just as ghastly as Dun remembers him to be, dressed up like an 80s movie villain with the outdated attitude and views to go with. There is a moment where Bas obviously catches the other man’s attention and although Dun does not move an inch, he makes sure to lock gazes with Phassakorn warningly the moment he gets the chance to, causing the other to walk away with a smirk Dun knows James would love to punch from his face.

The rest of the meeting goes smoothly with Dun keeping an eye on Phassakorn, sovereignly suppressing his urge to just punch the other man in the throat every time he leers at Bas, especially when he realizes that Bas does notice the looks sent his way and at one point even squirms uncomfortably.

But every time Bas would catch those looks, Dun would make sure to move a little to catch Phassakorn’s attention while Adrian, who seems to realize what’s going on, does his best to pull Bas’ attention away from the club owner; which is pretty much appreciated.

“Alright, sounds like a wrap,” Adrian says once the last details have been agreed on, offering his hand for Bas to take in a handshake. “We can mutually generate a contract, if you agree.”

“Sounds good,” Bas says with a smile as he draws back before packing up the documents, relief flooding his veins.

He briefly registers Adrian taking the last sip from his drink before long, slender fingers come into view to help him gather the papers, his lips automatically curving up into a smile when he turns to look at the hand’s owner. And when he finally meets Dun’s gaze, he feels stunned by the look he sees in the taller man’s eyes.

Dun looks so utterly proud.

He can feel his fingers brush against Dun’s as he retrieves the documents, their gazes remaining locked until they are interrupted by a voice wholly unfamiliar to Bas.

“Mr. Romchumpa,” Phassakorn drawls with a smirk as he approaches their table. “Who is your lovely companion? Didn’t know you’d bring along someone this pretty or else I would’ve welcomed you myself. I thought the bouncer said that you came in with Mr. Piniwat. I did expect him to drop by today, but he’s nowhere to be seen.”

The man speaking looks about to be in his forties, sporting a black suit of which the lilac dress shirt is unbuttoned enough to have his chest hair make an appearance while rows of gold necklaces decorate his neck and chest. He is tall and lean, his black hair long enough to reach just above his shoulders.

“I am here with Mr. Piniwat,” Dun says before looking at Bas. “This is Suradet Piniwat, Mr. Piniwat’s son. And he brought me along, not the other way around.”

“Oh really?” The way Phassakorn’s gaze rakes over Bas’ whole body causes the young heir to instinctively fidget uncomfortably before following Dun’s example in standing up..

“Really,” the young Mafia boss says, his voice just as hard as his gaze. “And now we’re leaving.”

There comes no vocal retort from the club owner, his gaze remaining on Bas even as Dun walks past him with the young heir right behind him and it’s only a split second after he catches Phassakorn’s slimy grin that the other man’s left hand finds its way around Bas’ right wrist to pull him closer.

And the sight of it makes something within Dun _snap_.

He briefly registers that Bas manages to free himself by swiftly twisting his arm and forcing Phassakorn’s hand off him and with the club owner completely stunned by Bas’ manoeuvre, Dun receives the perfect opportunity to aim right for Phassakorn’s nose with his balled fist. He can hear and see the other’s nose break with a satisfying crack as blood floods out of it and before Phassakorn can recover, Dun has his hand around the other’s throat, throwing him against the nearest wall with a thud.

The moment Phassakorn’s back hits the wall, Dun can hear commotion from somewhere to his right, but pays it no mind as he stares right into the eyes of the man who is now completely at his mercy, knowing that he can trust the bodyguards to take care of whatever is going on right now.

His hold around Phassakorn’s throat tightens, the movement not stopping until he can clearly hear the older man struggle for air. His gaze hardens with utter fury.

“Do _not_ touch him,” his words are emphasized by another squeeze around the other’s throat. “You may own this club, but whenever I decide that I own your life, I will do with it however I please and no one is going to stop me or they’ll die trying. So keep your hands to yourself or I’ll make sure that you won’t have them for long anymore, got it?”

Dun lets Phassakorn struggle for a few more seconds, a sinister smirk decorating his face as he watches the other’s blood drip down to his lips; the sight of the arrogant piece of shit suffering at his very own hands while whimpering helplessly giving him a rush of satisfaction.

It’s _pathetic_.

It’s only when he sees that Phassakorn is actually struggling to reply that he loosens his hold just enough to allow for him to speak.

“I get it,” comes the hoarse response.

“Good,” is all Dun says as he tightens his grip one last time and pulls the older man forward before smacking the back of his head against the wall, straightening his posture casually as he lets go and takes a step back.

He then pulls the handkerchief out of his breast pocket before starting to wipe away parts of Phassakorn’s blood which managed to drip onto his hand, his eyes not leaving the man who is slowly sliding to the ground until he can hear noises from behind him.

When he turns around, he’s surprised at the sight of Adrian hitting one of Phassakorn’s men right in the throat with his palm; the force of it strong enough to make the man gasp for air desperately.

Dun narrows his gaze. “Is the supply business the only kind of business you do with the older Mr. Piniwat?”

Adrian gives him a light shrug. “For now.”

A look of understanding crosses everyone’s faces before Dun’s eyes land on Bas, who doesn’t look as affected as some people who don’t know any better might expect for him to be. But he does know better. If Bas was once meant to be his father’s successor, then he had definitely been trained for that position since young and most likely had his fair share of insight into how violent this world can be.

“Are you okay?” His gaze falls on the wrist Phassakorn has grasped onto earlier and Bas, upon noticing where his attention had wandered to, lifts his arm to bare his wrist to him.

“I’m okay. His grip wasn’t that tight.”

Dun’s gaze lingers on the pale skin for a bit longer as he searches for blemishes before he finally nods as if reassured enough, causing Bas to lower his arm with a small smile. “Let’s get out of here.”

The others merely nod in return before allowing Dun to lead them downstairs, where the bouncer has obviously heard the commotion and is looking so much like a spooked cat that the Mafia boss almost feels the urge to laugh.

“Be good and take care of your boss,” Dun says in passing.

The shocked way in which the bouncer looks up the stairs afterwards causes a dark grin to appear on Dun’s lips, his steps leisure as he makes his way towards the exit with the others following him wordlessly.

“Do I need to call an ambulance?” The bouncer by the main entrance asks as they are about to make their exit. “Why did my colleague by the VIP area just radio me while sounding like a frightened child saying that he needs some help for the boss up there?”

“Your boss was putting his hands where they don’t belong,” is all Dun says in response as he steps outside and the bouncer merely lets out a sigh, not saying anything further as he gives him a nod of recognition in return.

He knows his own boss, alright.

“Well,” Adrian starts, causing everyone to halt in front of the club and look at him. “What an eventful day. I think this is the part where I will excuse myself. It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Piniwat and Mr. Romchumpa.”

“Likewise,” Dun says before glancing back towards the club. “And thank you for the help in there.”

Adrian gives him a boyish grin before his gaze lands on Bas. “I look forward to working with you, Mr. Piniwat. Und...den Herren hier sollten Sie so lange wie möglich an Ihrer Seite behalten. [And...you should keep this gentleman by your side as long as possible.]”

A sweet, timid smile graces Bas’ lips as he realizes who Adrian is talking about, prompting him to take a glance at Dun before nodding in agreement with no vocal answer to accompany the gesture.

Dun looks at him questioningly after Adrian walks away but does not question it further when Bas chooses to shake his head dismissively. Taking things as they are, Dun merely smiles in return.

“Come on, let’s get you home.”

A warm feeling settles in Bas’ chest. “Yeah, home sounds good.”


End file.
